


Horror Movies and Hotels

by orphan_account



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys Kissing, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, lawrusso
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27012496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A fluffy story where Johnny starts training with Mr. Miyagi a while after Kreese leaves. Daniel and Johnny have a tentative friendship and get to spend some time together alone.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 51
Kudos: 233





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is really fluffy (and pretty cheesy) but I like it. Hope you will too. I consider it to be LawRusso, but it's just the beginnings of it. A hint of it? You'll see.

“Johnny, you got the keys?” Daniel looked over his shoulder, “I gotta throw my bag in the car.”

“Yeah, got ‘em here,” muttered Johnny, pulling the keys out of his pocket and looking around for the rest of his stuff before joining Daniel by the car.

It was about a month after Kreese had disappeared, and Johnny had shown up on Mr. Miyagi’s doorstep, asking if he could learn his style of karate. Daniel had been hesitant the first time he found Johnny at Mr. Miyagi’s house, but the man had smoothed things over, managing to get them to train together over time.

Now, Johnny and Daniel were on their way to a tournament, without Mr. Miyagi. He didn’t approve of the competitions, but he also said, if they fought with honor, it was okay with him. He agreed to sign them up and even pitched in a little for a hotel room. Daniel and Johnny had thanked him profusely before leaving, threw everything into the back seats of the car, and took off.

“Okay, LaRusso, this is going to be kind of a long drive, so I’m in charge of the music,” Johnny said, rummaging through the cassettes in his bag.

Daniel scoffed, merging onto the highway, “Okay, sure, let’s see what ya got.”

Johnny pushed the first tape in and Daniel actually nodded his head in approval, “Okay, all right, you have pretty good taste in music Lawrence.”

Johnny just grinned and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

A little while later Daniel glanced over and noticed Johnny was bouncing his knee rapidly and staring out the window. “Hey, you nervous about the tournament?”

Johnny looked over and nodded, “Yeah, it’ll be the first time I’m not fighting as Cobra Kai. I don’t want any … bad habits to come back, ya know?”

Daniel frowned, “You know, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’ve been training with you for a few months and you’ve changed a lot.”

Johnny just nodded slowly and looked back out the window, “Thanks.”

They arrived at the hotel in midafternoon, unloaded their stuff, had a half-hearted fight over whose bed was whose, and decided to stretch from the long ride.

“Okay, we have some time to kill, but I dunno what there is to do around here,” Daniel said.

“They have a little brochure thing over here, lemme look,” said Johnny, grabbing the paper off the table and perusing it, “Doesn’t look like there’s much, but they do have a movie theater.”

“That sounds perfect. I need to take my mind off the tournament tomorrow, nerves are getting to me, too,” Daniel mumbled, “Does it say what they’re showing?”

“Uh, looks like a kids movie and then mostly Halloween stuff. You up for a horror movie?”

Daniel froze for a split second, “Oh, uh, sure,” he responded.

Johnny raised his eyebrows, “Really?”

“Of course. I love horror movies. Can’t get enough of ‘em,” said Daniel.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” shrugged Johnny, throwing the brochure down, “Let’s go.”

It was close enough to walk, so 20 minutes later they were standing in line at a little movie theater, grabbing popcorn and soda (cherry coke for Daniel and regular for Johnny – “Of course you drink cherry-flavored soda, LaRusso”), and trying to find seats for some horror flick that sounded cheesy to Johnny and somewhat terrifying to Daniel.

The theater was already crowded. It was a Friday night, so it was packed with teenagers, couples, and families. They managed to find seats that were kind of in the middle but a few rows from the back. They were far enough away that they’d feel kind of removed from the movie, but Daniel was perfectly fine with that.

At the first jump scare, Daniel ended up spilling almost all his popcorn on the floor, himself, and Johnny. Johnny just laughed and raised his eyebrows, “So, that spiel about loving horror movies?”

“Shaddap,” Daniel muttered, sheepishly, “I think they’re fine.”

“Hmm, well, you can hold my hand if you get too scared, LaRusso,” chuckled Johnny, turning his eyes back to the screen.

“Such a gentleman,” Daniel deadpanned, brushing the remainder of the popcorn off himself, he was going to have to apologize to the movie theater staff, this was a huge mess. He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation.

“What?” Johnny asked.

“The popcorn, I’m such an asshole. Someone has to clean this up now,” Daniel said.

Johnny just looked at him, “Daniel, it’s okay. We’ll apologize. It’ll be all right.” Johnny wasn’t sure if he was serious, freaking out about spilled popcorn. One of Johnny’s friends used to work at a movie theater so he knew some of the monstrous stuff they had to clean off the floors. “Hey,” he said, wrapping an arm around Daniel and shaking him gently, “It’s gonna be fine.”

Daniel ran his hand through his hair again but seemed to calm down. He didn’t pull away from Johnny, just stayed there for the rest of the movie, pushing in close to him for a split second every time he got scared and jumped.

On the walk back to the hotel, Daniel walked slightly closer to Johnny than was strictly necessary. He was still jumpy from the movie, looking over his shoulder and flinching at small noises. His shoulders were all hunched up. Johnny looked at him sideways and decided he couldn’t handle another 15 minutes of this.

“Are you cold, man? Or, what’s the deal?” Johnny asked.

“Cold? Nah, I’m fine,” said Daniel, a violent shiver running down his spine at that exact moment.

Johnny scoffed, “Okay, sure, one second.”

He slipped out of his red jacket and handed it to Daniel, “Here.”

“Hey, I don’t need a jacket, I have my sweatshirt, I’m fine. Plus, then you’ll be cold,” Daniel said, eyeing Johnny’s short-sleeve shirt.

“I run warm. Just take the coat,” Johnny huffed, shoving it towards him.

“Fine, fine,” Daniel muttered, slipping his arms into the jacket. It was big on him which made it extra warm. He sighed as the warmth seeped through his sweatshirt, wrapping the jacket tighter around himself when he realized he was picking up a trace of what must be Johnny’s shampoo and soap. He tried not to breathe in too deeply ( _Like a weirdo_ , he chided himself).

He shot Johnny a look and thanked him softly.

Johnny just smirked and shot back, “Anything I can do to keep my princess happy.”

“Your princess?” he asked.

A light blush appeared on Johnny’s cheeks. “Uh, did I say that?” Johnny laughed uncomfortably. _Did I really say that? Really smooth man_ , he thought to himself.

Daniel frowned, expecting sarcasm at the very least. What he wasn’t expecting was for Johnny to be caught off guard.

They walked the rest of the way back in comfortable silence.

When they reached their room Daniel muttered, “We’d better sleep. Gotta get up early tomorrow for the tournament.”

“Yeah,” Johnny agreed, throwing on a t-shirt and sweats and climbing into bed. 

An hour later, Daniel was still awake, staring at the ceiling, flinching at every stupid shadow or weird noise. _Why did we have to see a horror movie?_ he groaned internally. 

An exasperated sigh issued from the other bed and Johnny said, “Are you going to ever fall asleep? Every time you jump at some stupid noise that bed squeaks like you wouldn’t believe. You’re keepin’ me up, man.”

Daniel chuckled nervously, he thought Johnny was long asleep, “Oh, sorry, Johnny.” 

“What’s keeping you up? Tournament nerves?”

“Uh, sure, something like that,” Daniel responded.

Johnny paused, but then let out a laugh, “Was it the movie? It wasn’t that scary LaRusso!”

Daniel sat up to argue, “Hey! It was scary enough, okay?”

Johnny just rolled around laughing for a minute, but when he finally got ahold of himself, he said, “You’re perfectly safe, you know.”

“I know that logically, Johnny,” Daniel huffed, “But my brain is not on board with logic right now.”

Johnny just chuckled and lifted his blankets up to reveal the bed, “Come here.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows.

“Come here before I change my mind. I’m not asking you to _sleep_ with me LaRusso, but we do need to sleep, literally. I’m not letting us lose just because a movie kept you up all night.”

Daniel sat for a second, contemplating, then nodded, “Fine, makes sense.” 

He hurried over to Johnny’s bed and climbed in, snuggling into the sheets that were already warmed up. He caught that same scent that was on Johnny’s jacket and sighed, closing his eyes.

“Well, don’t enjoy it too much,” Johnny laughed, pushing his shoulder.

“Shut up, Johnny, you offered,” Daniel smiled, snuggling farther under the comforter.

Johnny let out an amused breath and turned over to go to sleep. It took a few minutes, but he was just starting to drift off when he felt the other boy scoot a little closer. Johnny just smiled and let out a breath. He wasn’t going to admit it, but he liked the warmth and the closeness, too.


	2. Something Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and Daniel participate in the tournament and get to spend more time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fluffy chapter. Hope you enjoy! Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments.

Johnny was amped for the tournament. He saw his name on the bracket and fully intended to make sure he made it to the semi-final rounds. He was in the eighteen and over bracket now, so he was facing people aged into their mid-thirties. Scanning the room, he spotted the first guy he was going to fight and smirked. They all looked strong and most of them were bigger than him. Big deal. He was ready.

Daniel stretched over at the kata mat. When they got to the sign-up table he decided he was going to forego fighting and participate in the kata competition instead. It was all about style and form which he felt suited him better than violent one-on-one bouts. He was scheduled for later in the day so he walked around the venue, checking out other people’s styles of karate. People were sparring, practicing, laughing. When the loudspeakers announced the start of the competitions he went over to watch the other kata competitors. 

Johnny bowed to his first opponent, relishing the adrenaline, every block accompanied by a sting of pain that he wouldn’t register until after the round, striking quickly and effectively. He moved up the bracket swiftly, just as he’d predicted.

Daniel’s turn was getting closer but he was getting nervous. He heard Johnny’s Kiai from across the room and smiled. At least he was still going strong.

Johnny made it to fourth place, which he thought was pretty good, considering the strength and experience of his opponents. He bowed to the man who ended up beating him and grinned because he’d given it his all and was proud of what he’d done. Plus, he hadn’t gone overboard even once. He’d fought with honor. 

His honorable fighting and obvious sportsmanship earned him an invite to a restaurant after the tournament. Most of the participants from the bigger schools were meeting there and they said he could bring whoever he wanted. He smiled and said he’d be there. He looked around to find Daniel and saw him in the middle of his kata so he walked over to wait for him.

Daniel was focused and moved with ease and grace throughout his kata. Each jump and turn was fluid, and if he’d noticed them, he’d have seen that people were impressed with the apparent artistry of the movements. 

Johnny smiled as people around him murmured, watching Daniel move through his kata. _Yep_ , he thought, _that’s Daniel. Catching attention wherever he goes._

Daniel finished his kata with a final Kiai and bowed to the judges, exiting the mat. He spotted Johnny waving to him from the side but immediately frowned, walking over to him. “Johnny,” he said, “your eye! I thought there wasn’t any head contact allowed in this tournament. You’re covered in bruises.” He looked over Johnny’s arms with dismay.

Johnny just grinned, “Comes with the territory princess. I’m fine.”

Daniel frowned again and crossed his arms.

“Hey, don’t look at me that way,” he said, slinging an arm around Daniel’s shoulders, “I got us invited to a party. That sounds fun, doesn’t it?” He grinned and prodded Daniel in the side.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He looked over at the bracket and exclaimed, “Woah, Johnny. Fourth place in your age group? That’s really impressive.”

Johnny slid his arm off Daniel’s shoulders, unsure how to accept the compliment. “Thanks, Daniel,” he said quietly, “I followed Mr. Miyagi’s teachings the whole time, too. I fought honorably.”

“I knew you would,” said Daniel, glancing at Johnny out of the corner of his eye. “I never doubted it for a second.”

Johnny tapped his arm with the back of his hand, “Well, let’s go see how you did, and then let’s go eat. I’m so hungry.”

Daniel nodded, following Johnny over to the rankings for Daniel’s competition. When the judges put up the results, Daniel was dumbstruck. He’d gotten second place. “Wow,” he said, turning to look at Johnny as if he didn’t think that could possibly be right, “Second place? Woah.” 

“Nice job LaRusso,” Johnny grinned. “I figured you’d do well. You looked natural, like a dancer.” His eyes suddenly lit up with mischief, “Aww, you’re a tiny dancer, LaRusso.” 

Daniel grimaced, putting his hand over his eyes, “Please, no. Do not keep going with that.”

“What? But it’s perfect!” Johnny said as Daniel started walking away, “Come back. Hold me closer!” 

Daniel threw his hands up in the air, he might have heard that pun before, back in Newark, and he was not eager for it to become a new nickname.

Johnny caught up with him, still chuckling at his own joke. They changed into their regular clothes and headed over to the restaurant to meet the other competitors and get some food.

Johnny was quickly surrounded by guys who wanted to talk shop -- “How long have you been training? Who’s your teacher? What style was that?” He answered everyone's questions and learned some useful tips for next time, relishing in the advice from more experienced practitioners.

Daniel was pulled over by other people from his competition, congratulating him and asking him where he learned his kata. He was talking to a few people when a girl leaned over to him and whispered, “That blonde guy over there, he’s your friend?”

Daniel nodded, rolling his eyes, he knew where this was going.

“Think you can introduce me?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Sure,” Daniel chuckled, “But we’re heading out tonight. Gotta drive back to Reseda.”

“Okay, works for me,” she said, shrugging.

Daniel caught Johnny’s eye and waved him over. He made introductions and sat back to watch as each person was drawn in by him. Johnny drew attention so easily but it seemed to make him uncomfortable. He was shifting in his seat, eyes flicking over to Daniel after a while. Daniel took the hint and stretched, yawning loudly, “Hey, okay, I gotta break up the party everyone, sorry. I’m drivin’ back and if Johnny and I don’t get goin’ soon I might put us in a ditch.”

They said their goodbyes and made their way out to the car, all their bags already packed up from this morning when they checked out of the hotel.

Daniel slid into the driver’s seat, yawning again. Johnny looked over at him, “You sure you’re up to drive all the way back tonight?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Daniel nodded, “Actually, I’m gonna grab a soda for some caffeine. One second, I’ll be back.” Johnny watched him jog back over to the restaurant, throwing the door open and walking back inside. He returned a few minutes later with a paper cup filled with soda and a little slip of paper. 

Daniel grinned and held it out to Johnny, “A phone number for you, Mr. Lawrence.”

Johnny took the piece of paper gingerly, pursing his lips at Daniel’s attitude. “Why thank you,” he said, sliding it into his pocket.

Daniel chuckled and started the car, backing them out of the space and starting to drive.

Johnny thought he was going to sleep on the way back, but he had always liked driving at night. It reminded him of countless hours spent commuting with his mom before he was in school, back when he could sit at the restaurant where she used to work. He leaned forward to watch the stars, spotting the moon and sighing without realizing it.

“It’s beautiful,” Daniel said.

“Hmm?” said Johnny, turning to look at Daniel.

Daniel nodded at the windshield, “The sky. It’s beautiful at night. We don’t get to see the stars much where we live, do we?”

Johnny hummed, nodding in agreement and settling back in his seat. He did doze off for a while after that.

He woke up to Daniel nudging his knee. “Hey Johnny, we’re back. It’s the middle of the night. Do you want to come to my house and I’ll take you home tomorrow?”

Johnny had no interest in waking up Sid in the middle of the night or hearing about how much noise he’d made coming home the next morning, so he nodded. They grabbed their bags and made their way up the stairs to Daniel’s apartment. Daniel opened the door as slowly and quietly as possible. He walked over to the table and picked up a note from his mom. 

“Oh,” he said, “she had a late shift so she’s not home yet.”

He walked over to the door where Johnny stood and flicked on the lights. 

“Do you want the bed or the couch?” Daniel asked. “I can get either one ready for you.”

“Uh, couch. I don’t want to kick you out of your own bed,” Johnny said, yawning and stretching. 

“Okay, fair enough. One second,” Daniel went to get sheets, blankets, and a pillow for him, making up the couch nicely. 

Johnny grinned as Daniel fussed over the couch-turned-bed. “Hey,” he said, “It looks great. I could sleep standing on my feet right now. This is perfect.”

“Okay,” said Daniel, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. Johnny recognized that move from the movie theater.

“Are you nervous about something?”

Daniel raised his eyebrows, “Oh I was just … are you sure this is okay? I know your house is a lot nicer, I just…”

Johnny strode over to where Daniel stood and looked him in the eyes. “It’s perfect. You don’t have to make a fuss over me … not that it isn’t cute.”

Daniel huffed out a breath and turned away to walk to his room. 

“Goodnight princess,” Johnny called, grinning.

Daniel let out a long-suffering sigh, “Goodnight Johnny.”

Johnny grinned and crawled under the blankets on the couch, settling in. They were soft and smelled like laundry detergent. He sighed, stretching out.  
His mind started wandering as he drifted toward that place between sleep and wakefulness, his thoughts taking him to that morning when he’d woken up with LaRusso next to him, and it had felt warm and comfortable. He smiled slightly as he drifted off.

His dreams were a wild amalgamation of the previous day’s events. He fought dragons, ran down long hallways, and was constantly searching. Every corner he turned he was sure he was going to see what he was looking for, but it was followed by another room, another hallway. Finally, he found himself in a kitchen, the low sounds of movement, and cooking paired with a subtle sweet smell.

That was when he woke up, opening his eyes and looking around groggily, getting his bearings. Sun was filtering in through the curtains. He sat up, not seeing Daniel or his mom. He noticed there was another note on the table. Daniel had left one for his mom and for him. It said he was free to use the bathroom to shower or whatever he wanted and that his mom would be sleeping late because she got home in the early hours of the morning.

Johnny took the invitation, grabbing his stuff and walking to the bathroom. After a shower, brushing his teeth, and getting some clean clothes on, he felt great. Daniel was still sleeping, so he decided he was going to go get him. He opened his door, walking in quietly. He crouched down by Daniel’s head and poked at his shoulder, “Hey, LaRusso, wake up.” 

Daniel just mumbled at him and tried to push his hand away. 

Johnny grinned, “Come on, wake up princess, I miss you.”

Daniel sighed, opening one eye to glare at Johnny. Before he could do anything else, Daniel reached out, grabbed him around the middle, and pulled him onto the other side of the bed.

“I’m not getting up. If anything, you’re sleeping more,” Daniel grumbled, trying to put the blankets over Johnny. 

Johnny laughed, trying to get up but Daniel just held on. “No, stay. Sleep.”

Johnny’s laugh stuttered slightly when he caught the sweet smell from his dream.

“Why do you smell sweet?” Johnny asked.

Daniel looked at him with bleary eyes, “It’s my conditioner. The only thing that tames all this hair.” 

“Cute,” muttered Johnny.

“Hmm?” said Daniel, pulling Johnny down and scooting over next to him.

“Nothing,” said Johnny, “Fine, I’ll try to sleep more. But no cuddling me like you did at the hotel.”

Daniel scoffed, hitting Johnny lightly on the shoulder, “I did not cuddle you.”

“Whatever you say, babe,” Johnny grinned, wondering how many nicknames he could try on Daniel. They all seemed to bug him, so they were all worth it, as far as Johnny was concerned.

Daniel let out a disgruntled breath but quickly fell back to sleep. Johnny just smiled, surprised to find himself getting tired again, with Daniel next to him.


	3. Standing Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny has an apartment. They both have jobs. Johnny tries an old trick and Daniel sees right through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluffy fluff. This is short, but I'm trying to keep things light. Hope you like it! Thank you again for the comments and kudos.

“So, where are you going to live when Johnny gets a girlfriend?” asked Lucille.

“Okay, first of all, Ma, come on. Second of all, I guess I’ll just have to spend more time here, bothering you,” Daniel grinned at her. “And third, I don’t spend _that much_ time there.”

“I barely see you anymore. Your friend gets an apartment and you’re never home.”

“I know, I know. But it’s closer to work,” Daniel shrugged.

Lucille sighed, “I suppose. Well, have a good day today. Work hard. Say hi to Mr. Miyagi for me.”

“Okay, see you later … maybe,” Daniel waved as he headed out the door, running down the steps to get to his car.

“You’re lucky I trust you, young man,” she shouted after him.

“Don’t I know it,” he yelled over his shoulder.

He barged into Mr. Miyagi’s Little Trees (which was doing even better now that they had expanded to selling more plants and doing some landscaping) and sat down to get to work, switching on the radio. 

_“And this one goes out to all the babes out there …”_

Daniel chuckled while he listened to Johnny say pretty much whatever he wanted on air. Johnny had recently taken a job at the local radio station and covered shifts whenever he could. He was, to say the least, popular with listeners.

The day went by quickly and soon Daniel was running up the stairs two at a time and bursting into Johnny’s apartment, shouting, “Honey, I’m home!” which was absolutely unnecessary considering Johnny’s apartment had one room, and he was sitting about 10 feet away from the front door at any given time.

Johnny just grinned, “Took you long enough.”

“Hey, some of us have a set schedule,” Daniel said in a mock offended voice. “Have you eaten?”

“Nope. Unless candy counts.”

“It doesn’t,” Daniel deadpanned, grabbing dishes and starting to cook dinner, “Am I going to be making you dinner for the rest of my life, Lawrence?”

“Hmm, a man can dream,” Johnny smirked.

Daniel scoffed, “You’re at least going to learn to make eggs and toast -- and grilled cheese. At least.”

Johnny smiled and took out a book to read while Daniel cooked. Daniel noticed and said, “Hey, you going to read to me or what?”

“You want me to?”

“Sure, entertain me while I cook.”

Johnny chuckled, “Okay, but I don’t know if you’re going to like this one.”

Daniel squinted at the title, “ _The Shining_? Of course it’s _The Shining_. Whatever I can handle it.”

“I seem to remember you saying that about a horror movie one time …”

“Just read, Johnny. I’m cooking. I’ll barely hear it.”

Johnny just smiled and started to read. As he predicted, Daniel was getting visibly freaked out and it was only the beginning of the book. And okay, maybe Johnny had picked this book, hoping Daniel would notice, hoping he’d want to read it together. 

Daniel was serving up dinner, pushing food onto Johnny’s plate when he asked, “Did you get this book on purpose to get me into bed, Lawrence?”

“Why? Going to have trouble sleeping?” Johnny asked, biting back a smile.

“You know I will,” Daniel said, shooting him a look from across the kitchen.

“Hmm, maybe you caught me,” Johnny said. “I sleep better with you here anyway.”

“You could just ask me to stay.”

“Could I?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then, you should stay.”

“Okay, I will,” Daniel smiled, sitting down across from Johnny to eat, “Besides, I sleep better here, too.”

They crawled into bed a few hours later. Side by side like they always were. 

Johnny said, “You know, sometimes I feel like we’re kids at a sleepover when we do this.”

“Really?” asked Daniel.

“Yeah. We lay here giggling and laughing until we’re too tired to stay awake. It feels exactly like a sleepover.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Daniel. “I guess we need to change that.”

“Huh?” said Johnny, turning to look at Daniel who was scooting over, throwing an arm and a leg over Johnny and pushing his head onto Johnny’s shoulder.

“There,” breathed Daniel, thoroughly pressed up against Johnny, “it’s a lot less like a sleepover now, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” said Johnny, letting out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He could feel Daniel’s breath on his neck every time he spoke.

“Hey, Johnny?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you wish you were … somewhere else? Or, with someone else right now?”

“What? No,” Johnny frowned.

“Okay,” Daniel sighed.

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, just something my mom mentioned today.”

“Okay, thank you for being very clear and not vague at all,” Johnny huffed.

“You’re welcome,” Daniel smiled and snuggled in closer.

Johnny laughed and tried to push Daniel off. Daniel just held on tighter, “No, you’re stuck with me now.”

“Hmm, I guess I’ll just have to learn to live like this.”

“Yeah, you better, because I’m not going anywhere. Especially not now I have a standing invitation to stay over. You’re definitely going to regret this, Johnny.”

“Somehow, I really don’t think so,” Johnny whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Nothing, go to sleep, Daniel,” Johnny said.

“Wow, my real name? Guess I did something right today.”

“Guess so,” Johnny said, wrapping an arm around Daniel to pull him closer.


	4. Enchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and Daniel find magic in the little things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluff because it warms my heart. Also, I do apologize for how cheesy some of the lines can get sometimes. It just makes me happy so I can't help it. Hope you enjoy and thank you all for the comments and kudos. It's nice to know this story makes other people happy too. <3

“It’s raining,” sighed Daniel, looking out the window. “We were going to go somewhere today.”

“We can still go somewhere if you want,” said Johnny. “It’s only rain.”

“Hmm, but it won’t be as fun, and I don’t have any extra clothes here.”

“Yeah, about that, why don’t you? You’re here all the time.”

“I should. But then I don’t have an excuse to wear yours,” said Daniel, wrapping one of Johnny’s flannel shirts tighter around himself. 

“You have flannel shirts too,” Johnny pointed out.

“Your shirts are better. Softer or something.”

Johnny rolled his eyes and kept flipping through radio stations, “There’s nothing good playing right now.”

“It’s ‘cause you’re not at work.”

“You want me gone so you can have the apartment to yourself?”

“No. It was meant to be a compliment. I was saying you play good songs when they let you, but I forget that you can’t take a compliment, right?” Daniel said, turning to look at Johnny with mischief in his eyes.

“Hey, I’m working on it,” said Johnny.

“I know,” said Daniel. “I think I’ll just have to compliment you a lot more starting now. So you get used to it. And start to believe me.”

Johnny chuckled, “Okay, sure.”

“Hmm, you don’t believe I’ll do it, but you’ll see.”

“Okay, LaRusso, whatever you say.”

Daniel could only contain his energy for about fifteen more minutes. He blurted, “Take me somewhere. I can’t stand sitting inside all day on our day off. We never have days off at the same time. We _have_ to do something.”

Johnny grinned to himself. He didn’t mind spending the day inside with Daniel, but Daniel had never been able to sit still. And Johnny couldn’t help but oblige.

“Okay, I have an idea. Let’s go,” said Johnny, standing up, stretching, and grabbing his keys off the table.

Daniel grinned and followed Johnny to the door. Stopping to quickly pull his shoes on, hopping around on the spot and almost falling over because he always refused to untie them. Johnny caught him by the arm to stop him from toppling. 

They hopped in the car and Johnny started driving. The rain slowed but didn’t stop. They arrived at a little parking lot next to a park and forest. Johnny grabbed Daniel’s hand and led him down a forest path that started near the parking lot. They walked for a while in silence, Daniel trailing behind Johnny but not letting go of his hand.

Daniel saw the trees thinning up ahead. “Is that where we’re going?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Johnny.

Daniel let go of his hand and jogged ahead. He stopped when he got to the top of a small incline where the trees cleared. He could see out over a vast expanse of forest. The rain fell lightly, blurring the scene, making every color more vivid.

Johnny walked up next to him. “I thought you might like the view.”

“I do,” said Daniel. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Of course,” said Johnny. “Besides, every princess needs an enchanted forest.”

“It’s enchanted?”

“Yeah, couldn’t you tell? Everything in here is magic,” Johnny chuckled. “That’s why you held my hand the whole way. You were bewitched.”

“You don’t need magic to get me to hold your hand, Johnny,” Daniel replied quietly.

Johnny looked down at the ground and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then closed it and looked back out across the forest.

They stood together for a while and walked through more of the park until they were thoroughly soaked and ready to go back to Johnny’s apartment. 

When they got back, Daniel was shivering. Johnny made him shower first, telling him he needed to warm up and dry off or he’d get sick. 

Daniel called out to him when he was done and Johnny hurried in, ready to get warm, too.

After his shower, he pulled out some of his most comfortable clothes and enjoyed the feeling of being warm and dry after having been cold and damp. He let out a sigh, basking in the warmth, and walked back into the main room. 

An entirely different kind of warmth thrummed through his veins when he saw Daniel stretched out on his bed with his eyes closed, wearing Johnny’s shirt and sweatpants, listening to Johnny’s walkman, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

Johnny coughed, walking up to Daniel and crouching down, pulling one earphone away from his head, “Hey, what are you listening to?”

Daniel slid the headphones off, turning to lay on his side to look at Johnny, “Whatever you had in there last.”

“Didn’t recognize it?”

Daniel shook his head, “No, but it was good. I really like your music.”

“Thanks,” Johnny said, standing up again to find something on the radio. “Looks like you like my clothes too.”

“I do,” said Daniel. “So soft and warm.”

Johnny smiled despite himself, choosing a radio station and turning back around. Daniel was getting up from the bed and walked over to Johnny, closing the distance between them. He looked up at Johnny and asked, “Hey, so about that enchanted forest …”

“Yeah?”

“You think I could still be under some kind of spell?”

Johnny smirked, not sure where Daniel was going with this, “Sure?”

Daniel was biting his nails, a nervous habit Johnny hadn’t seen him fall back on in months.

Then Daniel nodded and said, “Good.” 

He stepped forward, sliding his arms around Johnny’s neck, standing up on his toes and touched his lips to Johnny’s ear.

Johnny’s breath caught in his throat, but he instinctively wrapped his arms around Daniel’s waist, helping steady him.

Daniel whispered, “The real reason I wear your clothes is that it makes me feel like I’m closer to you. Sometimes it feels like, no matter what I do, I can’t get close enough. I always want to be wrapped in your arms. Every second I’m here, it’s all I want.”

Daniel exhaled and stepped back, sliding out of Johnny’s arms and trying to look anywhere but at him.

His face was starting to flush as he said, “So, I … if you want me to go, I get it. I just wanted you to know. But remember, that was just the spell talking so we can forget about the whole thing.” He chuckled, looking over at the door, “So, umm, I’m just going to get going.”

He started walking towards the door, but Johnny caught his arm and pulled him back, wrapping him in his arms again.

“Stay,” he whispered.

Daniel looked up at him, eyes searching Johnny’s, “Really?”

Johnny smiled, touching his forehead to Daniel’s, “Yeah, really. I want you to.” 

“Even after I said … what I said?” Daniel murmured.

“Especially after that.”

“Okay,” Daniel murmured. “Then I’ll stay,” and after a moment’s hesitation, he added, “but you’re gonna have to lift this spell. It’s making me say things I wasn’t planning on saying.”

“Seems like a good reason not to lift it if you ask me,” chuckled Johnny.

“You’re nothin’ but trouble, Lawrence,” said Daniel, pulling away.

“You love it,” said Johnny.

“Maybe,” said Daniel.


	5. New Year's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel reflects on New Year's Eve and tries to figure things out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos. <3

Daniel woke up at home. When he woke up yesterday, he hadn’t expected to end up back here. He had planned to wake up and spend New Year’s Day with Johnny. He sighed loudly and put his hand over his eyes when he thought about the events of last night. 

_Shit_ , he thought.

He threw the covers off and got to his feet to get ready for work. Mr. Miyagi would be there. He said Daniel didn’t have to come in, but Daniel didn’t think he’d mind if he did.

His mom was already at work, picking up the day because other people wanted off -- and she hadn’t expected Daniel to be home. So he locked the door and ran down the steps, jumping in his car and pulling up to the shop a few minutes later. When he walked in, Mr. Miyagi looked at him and, as usual, he felt like he could see all his emotions on his face. However, he didn’t say anything, just nodded and gestured toward the backyard.

Daniel gladly went to work, pulling his mind back to the task at hand when it wandered to the night before. He finished all the chores Mr. Miyagi had for him in record time. He went back inside and flipped the radio on, turning to Johnny’s station out of habit.

His voice came drifting over the airwaves, introducing the next song for everyone who was recovering from last night. _New Year’s Day_ by U2 started playing and Daniel found himself lost in it. He decided he had a new album to buy when he had time. Even if Johnny never wanted to see him again, he could listen to this song on repeat for the rest of eternity.

Mr. Miyagi was planning on closing up at noon. Daniel didn’t want to leave so he offered to keep it open for the rest of the day. He agreed, patting him on the shoulder and giving him a knowing look before he left. 

Daniel moped around the shop for the rest of the day, straightening things and cleaning. When he locked up, he realized he had to go see Johnny. He couldn’t stand not knowing.

He walked up to Johnny’s door and knocked. Johnny opened it, toweling off his hair, he must have just gotten out of the shower.

“I-- are you busy?” Daniel asked.

“No,” Johnny said, opening the door wider. “And since when do you knock? Just come in.”

“Okay,” said Daniel, coming in and sitting on the edge of Johnny’s bed. “I just need to say this before I can’t. I’m sorry I left. I just--,” he paused and took a deep breath, “I got scared.” 

He stood up quickly, intending to leave. Coming here was a mistake. He could feel a lump forming in his throat. _Don’t cry_ , he berated himself silently. _Don’t fucking cry about this_.

Before he could reach the door, he felt Johnny’s hand close around his wrist, pulling him back and up against his chest. Johnny wrapped both arms around him and Daniel looked up into soft blue eyes.

“You _know_ I wanted to kiss you,” Johnny whispered. "But _you_ ,” he emphasized by poking Daniel in the chest, “you left and I couldn’t find you for the rest of the night.”

“I’m sorry. I was just driving around. I shouldn’t have left like that. I was just nervous. I didn't know what you would do ... How you would react.”

Johnny sighed and pulled Daniel in even closer, “Sweetheart, I love you.” He rested his forehead on Daniel’s. “How can you not know that by now?” 

He shook his head, sliding one hand behind Daniel’s neck and pulling him in, touching their lips together gently, hesitantly. 

Daniel spoke against his lips, “Did you just say…?”

“Yeah,” Johnny murmured, “I love you.” He whispered it again, pressing short kisses on Daniel’s cheeks, behind his ear, up and down his neck, before going back to his lips, kissing him softly, until Daniel was leaning on his chest for support.

He pulled back, looking up at Johnny, “I love you, too. So much.”

They spent the rest of the day listening to music, wrapped up in each other’s arms. 

Daniel pulled back to catch his breath at one point, “You know, Johnny, I think this is the best New Year’s Day I’ve ever had.”

“Hmm,” said Johnny, looking away thoughtfully, “I’d say it’s at least in my top five.”

Daniel laughed and smacked his shoulder lightly, “Top five? What have your other New Year’s Days been like?” 

“Guess you’ll have to stick around to find out,” Johnny said, laughing, and pulled Daniel back down.


	6. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and Johnny start figuring out the future.

“Hey, Johnny, come over here. I need a taste tester,” Daniel called from the stove where he was stirring something in a huge pot.

It was raining again. They had decided to stay home today. Johnny had worked an overnight shift and was exhausted. He stood up from the bed, putting down his book and pulling off his headphones.

“What is it anyway? It smells amazing,” he asked, leaning over and slurping a small amount off the spoon Daniel held out for him.

“It’s just chili. I thought we could freeze a bunch so you’d have some food when I’m not around,” said Daniel. “So, how is it?”

“Mmm, it’s good. Really tomato-ey.”

“Hmm, maybe just a little bit more salt then,” muttered Daniel, tasting it himself and nodding.

“When are you not going to be around?” asked Johnny, leaning on the counter.

“Hmm?” asked Daniel, adding a few spices to the chili.

“When are you not going to be around that I’ll need meals?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not here every day.”

“Yeah, about that,” said Johnny, “do you ever think you might want to move in with me? I’ve been looking around at one-bedroom apartments and there are some that are fairly cheap. And with you paying rent too …”

“A one-bedroom? Won’t that be confusing for people if they only see one bed? It’s not like we’re,” he gestured between them, “ _together_ together. Are we?”

Johnny sighed, “I don’t know. Aren’t we?”

“Well,” said Daniel, “how about this. We get a pull-out couch so if people have questions we can tell them I use that at night and we fold it up during the day.”

Johnny raised his eyebrows, “Sure. So we’d just share a bed then? Always?”

Daniel nodded, “Yeah, I want to if you do.”

Johnny felt warm all the way down to his toes and smiled, “Yeah, I want to, too.”

“Okay, let’s start looking,” Daniel said. “Come here, taste this again. I think it’s ready.”


End file.
